1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming containers, and more particularly, an apparatus and method for reshaping the outer surface of the bottom end of a container which has been formed of aluminum or other metal.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,672 describes a drawn and ironed container or can having a reduced neck around an upper end and a bottom profile which allows nesting with a similar container having such a reduced neck. As stated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,672, which is herein incorporated by reference, the use of such reduced neck cans has allowed a considerable savings in metal used by manufacturers of such cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,924 shows a method of reshaping a container having a side wall and a bottom wall, the container being rotated by support means while a roller is applied to the outer periphery of the bottom of the container and moved towards the container axis. The movement of the roller towards the container axis reshapes a transition wall connecting the side and bottom walls of the container.
The apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,924 requires the movement of a work roller radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of a container body, and therefore requires the movement of the work roller in a direction perpendicular to the direction of a force applied to the container for holding it in position during the operation. This requirement creates vibration flowing from the complexity of movements and the mechanism so as to limit the maximum speed of operation and cause difficulty in timing the various operations in a high speed container reshaping machine.